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Handling a Boss Who Micromanages

Columnist Sue Shellenbarger answers readers' questions

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Sue Shellenbarger

Updated Sept. 8, 2010 12:01 a.m. ET

Q: My boss, a senior vice president, is a micromanager and has gotten worse as she is going through a bitter divorce. She doesn't respond to emails and meeting requests. Even when the CEO makes direct requests to us, she insists on approving all the work we do before it is sent back to the CEO. She is holding up nearly all our projects and making us look bad. Any advice?

—C.L.

A: Your boss is probably anxious and a little paranoid, given that she is going through a divorce and also has a CEO who goes around her directly to her employees, says Kate Wendleton, president of the Five O'Clock Club, New York, a career-management and outplacement company. Only you can tell what will work in your work environment, but consider easing her paranoia by including her more in office communications. Give her more frequent updates about everything that is going on, including requests you get directly from the CEO. Slip notes under her door or leave her voice-mails with real information. If she is informed all along, getting her approval to send projects along shouldn't take as long. If she doesn't respond to your emails or meeting requests, "hunt her down," Ms. Wendleton says; "if she gets in at 8 a.m., get in at 7:30 and wait outside her door."

If keeping her better-informed doesn't work, enlist the support of others who report to her. Together, write a summary of the problems with examples, says Tim Schoonover, chairman of OI Partners, a talent-management company. If you have a human-resources manager, meet with that person as a group and lay out your concerns.

If that doesn't work, ask for a group meeting with the CEO, Mr. Schoonover says. The situation may create a career opportunity for you, he adds; managing this situation well could improve your chances to move up.